Yesterday morning I finally got around to pulling the weeds in the backyard. Some had grown to shoulder height and I thought, better not let this get anymore out of control! So I opened up the playpen we never use put it on the porch in the shade plopped the babies into it and got out the weed wacker. I cut an cut can't cut until the little plastic things broke. Which initially was a bummer. But then it allowed me to clean up the cuttings and find this little treasure. I love how nature offers up unique learning experiences. I promptly took it to Sofia to show her what I had found and we talked about snakes and how they shed their skins.
The skin was so delicate and yet retained so much texture. I'm thinking it was a common king snake as I've seen one in the yard before. They are wonderful things to have around because they eat all the scary stuff like other snakes.
We also saw this Gila monster on the day we were leaving for our trip to New Mexico. This giant lizard, though beautiful, was something to be much more wary of as they have poisonous venom.
We've seen so many amazing things at this house, from coyotes and Gila monsters to tarantulas and javalinas. Let's not for get the bobcat. The desert is full of unique little treasures.
PS- I'm over at Mothering with Mindfulness today!
I feel like humming 'lions and tigers and bears, oh my!'
ReplyDeleteCool finds in your busy yard. Obviously a lot of critters use your plot as a by way.
Hehe. That's funny. I hope we don't see any lions. They say that there are mountains lions on the other side of the main road here. I read an article when I was researching bobcats that said they have found jaguars on the border of AZ-Mexico!
DeleteWe've got a wash that run through the neighborhood and all of the larger animals use that to get around. It's neat until you meet them face to face then sometimes it's nerve wracking.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny. When I was traveling to Australia, my mother was afraid for me because of the poisonous/dangerous animals there. She had to think a little bit when I reminded her that she lives among rattlesnakes, brown recluse spiders, black bears (in her backyard on a regular basis), mountain lions, and many more in these Colorado boarders. It's funny what we get used to living with and how hearing about another environment can scare us. :)
ReplyDeleteBlack bears in her backyard... I remember my grandmother having that problem in Albuquerque. She lived at the base of the mountain and a few summers in a row we had a dry spell and the bears would come down searching for food. It's all about perspective! I always say I won't go to the amazon because of the huge insects. But we have enormous tarantulas here!
DeleteNice find!!!! We don't have a ton of snakes here, at least not that we see. What a great teaching moment :)
ReplyDeleteI would think the forest would be full of snakes?!
DeleteThe snake skins are absolutely fabulous, but that lizard looks like it's as big as my dog....gives me the willies just thinking about it! (But then, I know a lot of people who would never live in tornado country and deer can be about as dangerous as anything, so I suppose it all depends on your perspective!)
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine living in the deep South! I mean hello alligators!
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